A facsimile machine has been known as a communication apparatus which receives data transmitted from a transmission source apparatus, forms an image on a record medium based on the received data, reads an image formed on a record medium, and transmits the read image data to a specified destination apparatus.
As for the facsimile machine, JP-A-2005-198128 describes a facsimile machine which, when receiving facsimile data from a calling party, receives a telephone number and a name of the calling party. Then, if printing of a reply sheet is preset and the telephone number of the calling party is not registered in an abbreviated dialing list, the facsimile machine converts the telephone number and the name of the calling party into a bar code and prints, on a sheet, an image into which the bar code and a first page of the received facsimile data are combined. Also, a pattern indicating the reply sheet “+X>” is printed at the left of the bar code.
In order to reply to the received facsimile data, a user puts the reply sheet on the top of a transmission document at a predetermined position, and then, the transmission document is read. If the pattern “+X>” is detected from the thus read image, the telephone number and the name are displayed on a display based on the bar code. When a user presses a start key, the sheet following the reply sheet is transmitted to the displayed telephone number. Accordingly, a reply can be easily made and a setting error can be suppressed as compared with the case where the telephone number is entered manually.
However, according to the facsimile machine described above, whenever facsimile data is received, a bar code is printed and thus causing consumption of recording sheets and recording agents of ink, toner, etc. Particularly, the bar code is printed visibly on a recording sheet and thus print of the bar code occupies a part of one recording sheet. Therefore, the print on the recording sheet (a received image or an image to be transmitted) could be limited. Further, if a bar code is not clearly printed due to a malfunction of the printer or dirt is deposited on a bar code after print, the telephone number cannot be read from the bar code and after all the telephone number would have to be entered manually.
Further, according to a technique described in JP-A-2005-198128, it could not be certain whether or not facsimile data, to which the reply sheet is not created, requires a reply. Further, a reply state indicating whether or not a reply to the received facsimile data has actually been made and a reply state indicating whether or not a reply has actually been made to the facsimile data having requested a reply, would not certain.